I haven't uploaded anything to this group, and so its sorta like im a third wheel, I want to upload something epicly mecha like the SCHISM or FOUNDATION, but I'm at no such level of skill. Any helpful mech building tips?Permalink

Quoting Xarxes Camoran
I haven't uploaded anything to this group, and so its sorta like im a third wheel, I want to upload something epicly mecha like the SCHISM or FOUNDATION, but I'm at no such level of skill. Any helpful mech building tips?

Well first of all, mechs like the SCHISM and FOUNDATION require an enormous amount of pieces, people (like myself) often underestimate how many parts it takes to build something that large with a single color.
But assuming you have the pieces, it's always good to draw some "concept art" of what you want the mech to look like. This gives you something to build off of so you can keep proportions and other aspects in mind. You don't have to be an artist by any means, but jotting down some sketches is a good place to start.
On top of that, look at other builds for inspiration. You don't have to borrow specific piece combinations from other MOCs, even though almost all of us do, but it's good to have some variation in a build so you aren't running out of ideas a quarter of the way through.
And finally, probably the most important thing, is trial and error. Once you start building, if you get stuck just start throwing pieces on. Undoubtedly most of them will look terrible but you might find something you like and you can keep it and build around that. A lot of experienced builders know what looks good and what doesn't so their builds come along quickly, but to get started you just have to explore. And remember that just because you spent hours on a certain part of a MOC, doesn't mean you have to keep it. It may be heart breaking to take apart something you put so much work into but if you don't like it in the end you shouldn't keep it.
If you really want polish off your MOC wait about a week after finishing it and then go back and think about things to change, sometimes when you finish a big build you are just excited to be done and you take pictures and immediately post them online, but wait a few days and see if you feel like you can make some good changes. This can include a simple addition of a piece or two, or it can be a complete remodeling.
Anyways that may be a lot more than you were asking for, and it's all pretty general. If you have any specific questions about mechs I'd be happy to answer them (even though I'm far from a mech expert).Permalink

Well first of all, mechs like the SCHISM and FOUNDATION require an enormous amount of pieces, people (like myself) often underestimate how many parts it takes to build something that large with a single color.
But assuming you have the pieces, it's always good to draw some "concept art" of what you want the mech to look like. This gives you something to build off of so you can keep proportions and other aspects in mind. You don't have to be an artist by any means, but jotting down some sketches is a good place to start.
On top of that, look at other builds for inspiration. You don't have to borrow specific piece combinations from other MOCs, even though almost all of us do, but it's good to have some variation in a build so you aren't running out of ideas a quarter of the way through.
And finally, probably the most important thing, is trial and error. Once you start building, if you get stuck just start throwing pieces on. Undoubtedly most of them will look terrible but you might find something you like and you can keep it and build around that. A lot of experienced builders know what looks good and what doesn't so their builds come along quickly, but to get started you just have to explore. And remember that just because you spent hours on a certain part of a MOC, doesn't mean you have to keep it. It may be heart breaking to take apart something you put so much work into but if you don't like it in the end you shouldn't keep it.
If you really want polish off your MOC wait about a week after finishing it and then go back and think about things to change, sometimes when you finish a big build you are just excited to be done and you take pictures and immediately post them online, but wait a few days and see if you feel like you can make some good changes. This can include a simple addition of a piece or two, or it can be a complete remodeling.
Anyways that may be a lot more than you were asking for, and it's all pretty general. If you have any specific questions about mechs I'd be happy to answer them (even though I'm far from a mech expert).

thank you very much! I must set out on my epic quest to use this new knowledge!!!Permalink